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Praise for Judgment and Salvation

25 O Lord, I will honor and praise your name,
    for you are my God.
You do such wonderful things!
    You planned them long ago,
    and now you have accomplished them.
You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins.
    Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble.
Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear
    and will never be rebuilt.
Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory;
    ruthless nations will fear you.

But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord,
    a tower of refuge to the needy in distress.
You are a refuge from the storm
    and a shelter from the heat.
For the oppressive acts of ruthless people
    are like a storm beating against a wall,
    or like the relentless heat of the desert.
But you silence the roar of foreign nations.
    As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat,
    so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled.

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Praise to the Lord

25 Lord, you are my God;(A)
    I will exalt you and praise your name,(B)
for in perfect faithfulness(C)
    you have done wonderful things,(D)
    things planned(E) long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble,(F)
    the fortified(G) town a ruin,(H)
the foreigners’ stronghold(I) a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.(J)
Therefore strong peoples will honor you;(K)
    cities of ruthless(L) nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge(M) for the poor,(N)
    a refuge for the needy(O) in their distress,
a shelter from the storm(P)
    and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless(Q)
    is like a storm driving against a wall
    and like the heat of the desert.
You silence(R) the uproar of foreigners;(S)
    as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless(T) is stilled.

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Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.”[a]

So we can say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper,
    so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?”[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 13:5 Deut 31:6, 8.
  2. 13:6 Ps 118:6.

Keep your lives free from the love of money(A) and be content with what you have,(B) because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”[a](C)

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[b](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6
  2. Hebrews 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7

Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle[a] have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

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Footnotes

  1. 13:10 Or tent.

Remember your leaders,(A) who spoke the word of God(B) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate(C) their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.(D)

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.(E) It is good for our hearts to be strengthened(F) by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods,(G) which is of no benefit to those who do so.(H) 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle(I) have no right to eat.(J)

11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering,(K) but the bodies are burned outside the camp.(L) 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate(M) to make the people holy(N) through his own blood.(O) 13 Let us, then, go to him(P) outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.(Q) 14 For here we do not have an enduring city,(R) but we are looking for the city that is to come.(S)

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice(T) of praise—the fruit of lips(U) that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others,(V) for with such sacrifices(W) God is pleased.

17 Have confidence in your leaders(X) and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you(Y) as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

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